VA Accidentally Releases Vets’ Personal Info

The Department of Veterans Affairs said January 20 that personal information for more than 2,200 veterans was posted on Ancestry.com after it mistakenly released the data through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). There is no indication the information was misused, but the agency is still notifying all potentially affected veterans and is offering free credit monitoring. Ancestry.com removed the data as soon as the VA alerted it to the department's mistake. While the VA was required to release the requested records under the FOIA, somehow information about living veterans was released as part of a database about deceased veterans. The department said it is investigating how the mistake happened

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first published week of:   01/23/2012

Virginia Brews Up Interactive Beer Map

Beer connoisseurs eager to try the latest microbrews in Virginia now have an interactive way to get information on the state’s various craft breweries.

The Virginia Tourism Corp. launched an online map of restaurants and locations serving local craft beer on tap. Each brewery on the map is represented by a beer mug icon. As visitors click on each location, it provides the address, website, contact information and description of each brewery and the beer it serves.

Dave Neudeck, director of electronic marketing for the Virginia Tourism Corp. — the state’s tourism office — said the application is part of the state’s first-ever Craft Beer Month this August. The month culminates with a Virginia Craft Brew Festival on Aug. 25 at Devils Backbone Brewery in Nelson County.

The idea behind the interactive map was to encourage residents and visitors to get out and see what vacation amenities Virginia provides.

“With a map, it gives them a sense of a place to start a weekend getaway, or a mid-week vacation with a brewery being one of the key focal points,” Neudeck said. “From there … they can drill into different areas they are interested in, access a specific brewery and then find things nearby to enhance or extend that stay. That’s big for us, getting people to vacation in Virginia.”

The site — www.virginia.org/craftbeer — also features special events and Virginia craft beer travel packages throughout August, according a statement from Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s office.

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first published week of:   07/30/2012

Web App Collects and Maps Storm Data
by Brian Heaton

From downed power lines to flooded streets, storms are notorious for wreaking havoc in cities. While there’s no stopping Mother Nature, a new real-time, Web-based application is keeping citizens of Norfolk, Va., better informed about areas to avoid if they need to travel during a severe weather event.

Called STORM — System to Track, Organize, Record and Map — the program has enabled city workers to more accurately report and map damage from storms and simultaneously push that data out to residents online. The application also standardizes and permanently stores each reported incident for use in clean-up efforts later on.

In the past, various departments would collect their own data about storm damage and store it independently. But that practice became a problem for some city staff members, and the issue came to a head in November of 2009 after a nor’easter (a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast with strong winds from the northeast that’s known for dumping heavy rain and/or snow in its wake, according to myskymom.com) caused damage throughout the city.

Fraser Picard, manager of Geographic Information Systems for the city of Norfolk, was attempting to map incidents during and after the 2009 storm. But he became frustrated because he received paper-based information from multiple sources and didn’t know whether the data was complete.

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first published week of:   09/24/2012

western australia boosts us$23 mil GIS project
byShahida sweeney

The government of Western Australia is fast-tracking investments in geographic information systems GIS under moves to make state-wide land and resources information more readily available for end-users, businesses and agencies.

An award-winning Shared Land Information Platform SLIP is being upgraded with the expanded use of spatial technology. This upgrade makes location-based knowledge easier to access, share and use across the state.

The SLIP initiative is administered by Perth-based Landgate, a statutory authority that maintains land ownership and survey information, as well as the valuation of land and property interests.

This platform is being revamped under a new GIS contract that supports the government’s US$23 million (AUD $23 million) Location Information Strategy.

This strategy, being delivered during 2012-2015, sources spatial technology to offer more accurate and up-to-date land information. This access further streamlines planning, investment and development activities in Western Australia.

Spatial technology offers sought-after cost savings, according to Landgate’s chief executive, Mike Bradford. “Western Australia is internationally recognized as a leader in the management and use of location information and technology.” continued…

first published week of:   12/03/2012

White House IP czar: anti-piracy laws should not block free speech

The White House’s Annual Report on Intellectual Property Enforcement is out, and there are some encouraging words in the 130–page document. The policy compendium reiterates what the Obama Administration declared in mid-January when pressed to take a position on the Stop Online Privacy Act.

Back then, the White House announced itself a SOPA skeptic. Apparently, it still is. “Online piracy is a serious problem,” says US Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Victoria A. Espinel, but the administration “will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk (including authority to tamper with the DNS system), or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet.”

And the Annual Report emphasizes the importance of openness in making IP policy decisions. “The IPEC continues to encourage improved transparency in intellectual property policy making," the survey insists. The Coordinator maintains an “open door” policy, and consults with "hundreds of stakeholders, large and small, across a broad range of sectors in developing and implementing the Administration’s strategy for intellectual property enforcement.”

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first published week of:   04/02/2012

White House is circulating a cybersecurity executive order: Here’s what you need to know
by Alex Willhelm

Following the controversial passage of CISPA in the House, and the failure of progress on the issue of cybersecurity in the Senate, talk began that the President might act through executive action.

The Press Secretary mentioned that the President would “do absolutely everything we can to better protect our nation against today’s cyber threats.” Later, calls by other’s on the Hill pushed for similar action. Following the collapse of progress in Congress, sans action by the President, cybersecurity is a moot issue, legally, until 2013.

The dangers loom, however, all parties agree.

According to a number of publications, there is a 5 page draft of an executive order out in the capitol, soliciting feedback. The Hill has it in the hands “relevant federal agencies.” According to its report, the order will put into place a ‘voluntary program’ in which companies whose work involves so call critical infrastructure would “elect to meet cybersecurity best practices.”

Interestingly, The Hill states that the standards will only be partially written by the government.

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first published week of:   09/10/2012